James Luna

Luiseño-Mexican-American performance and installation artist from the La Jolla Indian Reservation in California.

James Luna (February 9, 1950 – March 4, 2018[1]) was an American performance artist, photographer and multimedia installation artist. His work was best known for challenging the ways in which museum exhibitions depict Native Americans.

James Luna
James Luna in 2011
Born(1950-02-09)February 9, 1950
DiedMarch 4, 2018(2018-03-04) (aged 68)
NationalityLa Jolla Luiseño-Ipi-Mexican-American
EducationBFA University of California, MS San Diego State University, Honorary PhD Institute of American Indian Arts
Known forPerformance, installation
Notable workThe Artifact Piece (1987/1990), Take A Picture With A Real Indian (1993), Emendatio (2005)
MovementIndigenous performance art
AwardsGuggenheim Fellowship (2017)

With themes of multiculturalism, alcoholism, and colonialism, Luna's work was often funny and theatrical in nature. Luna was a full-time artist and in 2017 he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship.[2]

References change

  1. Pratt, Stacy. "Noted Indigenous performance artist James Luna walks on". First American Art Magazine. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  2. "John Simon Guggenheim Foundation |James Luna". www.gf.org. Retrieved 2017-04-24.